Agnikarma (Cautery) Practices – A Survey study

Background: In Ayurveda, Agnikarma is one of the important para surgical treatments extensively practiced in Vata –Kapha predominant diseases. It is simple, day care procedure and is less invasive and most importantly highly effective. For the conditions ranging from common headache to various neoplastic conditions, Agnikarma is preferred. Specifically, Agnikarma is widely practiced for various forms of Musculoskeletal conditions like Osteoarthritis, Sciatica, IVDP, Spondylosis, Spondylolisthesis, Tennis elbow, Frozen Shoulder etc. Instruments or Materials chosen for performing Agnikarma are termed as Dahanopakaranas (cautery devices). The basic principle on which Agnikarma works is transfer of thermal energy to bring changes in disease entity or stage of disease using specific devices for specific tissues involved. But in day today practice commonly used Agnikarma instruments are Pancha Dhatu Shalaka, needles (Suchi Agnikarma), Cautery probes of Thermal Cautery Machine while other instruments are not actively used in clinical practice. Methods: Survey of Agnikarma practitioners using specially prepared questionnaire Results & Conclusion: Majority of practitioners use Agnikarma as a frequent modality and also as first line of treatment in chronic painful conditions. The study also revealed that profound use of Panchalauha Shalaka for producing Bindu type of Agnikarma while very less practitioners use the other forms of Pratisarana, Valaya and Vilekha modes. Though considered as the first line of treatment in chronic pain management, its action on the pain of different origin like nociceptive, neuropathic has to be evaluated. The effect of the therapy on other parameters in the patients with co-morbidity has to be stringently evaluated.